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Aug 9, 2010

It seems everyone is getting thrifty these days and repurposing found objects to make them unique. The kitschy, vintage vibe is super popular. That's exactly what we are after today in this tutorial. I have seen several patterns for little girls dresses made out of pillowcases, but having two boys I don't have a need for them. Could I turn a ten cent vintage pillowcase and some beautiful May Arts ribbon into a skirt for me? One that I would actually wear?

Yes!! And it's super easy. I know this because it only took about an hour and I don't even really sew. So honestly, if I can do it “sew” can you!

The variety of May Arts ribbons and trims is astounding and although there are several different kinds that could be used for this project I chose one of my favorites:Grosgrain/Ivory Striped Ribbon, color RG76 for the sash and RG28 for the decorative rosette.

In addition to your ribbon you'll also need:

elastic (size will be determined by ribbon width)

pillow case

doilies

buttons

When I brought my pillowcase home from the thrift shop one end unraveled in the wash. That is actually what gave me the idea for a skirt! So if your pillowcase is in perfect shape you'll need to rip the seam out of the short end.

Fold and press for the length you want and trim to 1/4 inch from the fold. Make sure right sides together.

Pin your RG76 ribbon to the top edge of the material and sew as close to the top and bottom of the ribbon edge as possible, creating a self made casing. Be sure and DO NOT sew the side of your skirt where the ribbon will be tied—that's where we'll put in the elastic.

NOTE: IF you wanted to make it a drawstring type skirt you totally could by sewing down an inch of material, leaving the ends open to run your ribbon through. I had thought about this but couldn't bear to hide all that pretty ribbon!

Measure your waist to determine the length of elastic you'll need and use a safety pin to guide it into your ribbon casing. Make sure you hold it secure or by the time you get to the other side it will slip through!

Once your elastic is in sew it's ends together, but NOT to the material or the ribbon. And VIOLA! You've made a fashionable skirt from ribbon and a pillowcase. I loved the way the yellow striped ribbon looks here gathered. Now you could stop here and boy was that easy! But I say we embellish it a bit. :)

I found some old doilies for 25 cents and sewed them on. The yellow and white one had a pretty aqua edge that I cut off and used as a funky trim on the bottom of my skirt.

To hide the raw edge of the doily I sewed on antique trim. Some new May Arts Crochet/Velvet Center trim would look beautiful here.

It really looks like a skirt now!

Using the RG28 ribbon I created a fun little rosette. Run a needle through the center of the ribbon. This will give it a double ruffled edge when finished.

Cinch it up and sew to form a ruffled circle.

Sew button in middle and attach to skirt. I loved the punch of orange (my favorite!) color here the ribbon added. I think it adds a bit of funk to the doilies.

I added a few more vintage buttons and my skirt was complete:

Now I'm ready for a date night. Who am I kidding...more like a run to the grocery store! But when someone asks, “I love your skirt. Did you make it?” You can proudly say, “Why yes I did!” as you sashay through the frozen foods section. ;)